


5 Times Sonny Appreciated Rafael Being An Absolute Dorkass Sap

by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: M/M, so cute i might die, squad cameos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21579406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perpetfic/pseuds/Perpetual%20Motion
Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 34
Kudos: 178





	5 Times Sonny Appreciated Rafael Being An Absolute Dorkass Sap

Sonny's stamping his feet to try and keep the blood flowing as he waits for the uniformed officer he sent down the street for coffees. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and silently prays that it's not another scene. He's been up since three this morning, running down information on a spree attacker. They think they've got the guy cornered, but Sonny refuses to trust anything until he hears over the radio that they've got the guy cuffed. 

It's not the Lieu or the Sarge or Amanda or Fin. It's two texts from Rafael.

 **Rafael:** Good morning.  
**Rafael:** [Image Attached]

Sonny unlocks his phone to see the image, expecting to see a smug Rafael curled up in the blankets of Sonny's bed. They had planned to spend their day off together--their first one--until Sonny had gotten the call in the wee hours. 

He's surprised to find it's not a photo of Rafael curled up in the blankets, but a mirror selfie of Rafael brushing his teeth, his hair a mess. He looks half-awake but happy, and he's wearing the ratty, huge T-shirt Sonny had stripped off when he'd gotten out of bed to get dressed and get to the first scene. 

**Sonny:** My shirt looks good on you. 

**Rafael:** Thought you'd want to see what you would have woken up to. 

Sonny smiles down at the reply, still shivering from the cold but feeling warmed all over by such a sweet, small gesture. He saves the photo to his phone for the other mornings he may not get to watch Rafael wake up and snaps a quick selfie of himself. His scarf's bunched tight against his throat, and his hair is crushed under his beanie. His cheeks are windburn-red, and there are tears in his eyes from the chill in the air.

 **Sonny:** Sorry I'm not looking as relaxed. 

**Rafael:** That's okay. You're as handsome as ever.

*

"Kiss me," Rafael says three nights later as they settle on his couch to watch a movie. 

Sonny turns and smiles down at Rafael's upturned face, then happily kisses him, pressing their mouths together for a lingering moment before pulling away. "How's that?"

"More," Rafael says, tugging lightly at Sonny's shirt. 

Sonny chuckles and kisses Rafael again, breaking it off with a soft series of pecks that start on Rafael's lips and trail along the line of his jaw until Sonny presses a kiss just next to his ear. 

"Better," Rafael says, then he picks up Sonny's arm and ducks under it, curling himself against Sonny's side until he can rest his head on Sonny's shoulder and drape an arm around Sonny's middle. 

Sonny presses a kiss to the top of his head and doesn't tease him. The one time he'd done so--meaning it in entirely good fun--Rafael had looked uncomfortable, like other people had teased him about it before but been mean about it. Instead, he curls his free arm around the one Rafael has draped across him and lets contentment settle in his belly as the movie starts.

*

"Here," Rafael says one day a few weeks later as they grab a hurried lunch between hearings. He's holding out a book, the glossy cover and uncreased spine telling Sonny it's brand new. 

"What's this?" he asks, taking the book from Rafael and glancing at the cover. " _Bloom_?" 

"It's a kid coming of age in his parents' bakery," Rafael says. "I spotted it while I was browsing and thought you'd like it."

Sonny suddenly realizes he's seen this book before. On Rafael's side table in his living room, the cover still mostly glossy but with a deeply creased spine and the page edges carrying the soft fuzziness that spoke of multiple read-throughs. He flips the book open and beams when he realizes it's a comic. "Oh, hey! I haven't read a comic in forever."

"You mentioned when you were looking at my collection," Rafael says. "I really like this one, so I thought you'd want to try it."

Sonny looks at Rafael, who is busy cutting his chicken and trying to seem nonchalant about gifting his boyfriend a copy of a book he clearly adores. "I can't wait to read it," he says. "If I like it as much as you think I will, maybe you can suggest some other stuff to try."

Rafael looks up, and the smile he gives Sonny is quietly pleased. "We could go to the library this weekend if you think you can read it by then," he says. "All the branches have a section for comics, but the one near my place tends to have the most interesting stuff. For me, at least."

"Sounds like a perfect place to start," Sonny replies. "And I'm on stakeout with Fin this afternoon, so I bet I can get a lot read then. How about I stay over at your place on Friday, and we try for the library on Saturday?"

Rafael's smile goes from quietly pleased to deeply happy. "That sounds great."

*

 **Rafael:** LOOK AT THIS FUCKING DOG.  
**Rafael:** [Image Attached]

Sonny snorts quietly when he sees the message pop up on his phone. In the four months he and Rafael have been dating, he's been delighted to discover that Rafael is quick to text him anything that crosses his mind. It might be a thought about dinner, or a link to an article he's just read, but a lot of the time it's simply little things he's spotted or heard that he thinks Sonny will like. 

The dog photos though, those are the best. Rafael, it turns out, is not only an utter sap for dogs, but he especially loves small dogs, and he especially _especially_ loves to get selfies with them. 

Sonny puts down the pen he was using to annotate his report and unlocks his phone. In the photo, Rafael is outside near the courthouse, bundled against the cold. He's holding a long, short dog under the chest and clearly laughing, his head tipped back so the dog doesn't lick him on the face. The dog has giant ears, and it's wearing a pair of fuzzy pajamas with ducks stamped all over them. 

_Rafael:_ Her name is Bean.  
**Rafael:** She's a rescue.  
**Rafael:** She hates everyone unless they hold her.  
**Rafael:** She has an instagram.  
**Rafael:** She won't go outside if it's cold unless she's in her pajamas.

Sonny smiles down at his phone and sends back multiple heart-eye emojis. Rafael will think they're for the dog, but really, they're the only way Sonny can tell Rafael how fucking adorable he is. 

*

They're hip-deep in a new case late one evening when Rafael walks in wearing jeans and one of Sonny's Fordham hoodies; one that he bought a size too big specifically to be able to curl into it while studying in the law library. 

"Oh, wow," Amanda says when she spots Rafael. "Going full boyfriend with that look, huh?"

Rafael glances down and shrugs. "It's what I had on at home," he says.

"What brings you here, Rafa?" Liv asks, clearly confused at his arrival. They're nowhere near needing him to review their case. 

"Just dropping off dinner for Sonny," Rafael replies, putting a paper bag with an already noticeable grease stain on the table next to Sonny's notes. 

"You didn't have to," Sonny says as he opens the bag. "But thank you."

"You'll forget otherwise," Rafael replies. "I got you your usual." 

Sonny pulls out the chicken fried sandwich and inhales the smell of it, then glances back into the bag. "That is not a usual amount of fries."

"I knew you'd share," Rafael replies, meeting Sonny's smile with his own. "I"ll get out of your way. Kiss me goodbye."

Sonny stands up and does so, cupping Rafael's face in his hands and holding him steady when he pulls away. "Thank you," he says again. "You're the best."

Rafael turns his face so he can kiss Sonny's palm, and then he steps back. "Text me when you're done. I'll probably be asleep, but just in case."

"I will," Sonny replies and watches Rafael leave. He turns back towards the table and stops short when he realizes Amanda, Fin, and Liv are all looking at him. "What?"

"That is a capital-B boyfriend," Amanda says. "Bringing you dinner."

"And extra fries, even," Fin adds, making a grabbing motion in the direction of the bag. 

Sonny takes a handful of fries for himself then slides the bag to Fin. "Well, I mean, we've been seeing each other for awhile. You all know that."

"Sure," Amanda says, catching the bag when Fin slides it across the table to her, "but I assumed he had a three-piece sleep suit and wouldn't be caught dead in your ratty ass sweatshirt."

Sonny chuckles. "He's full of surprises," he says. "It's nice."

"It's good to see him relaxed," Liv says, stopping Amanda from saying whatever wise ass comment she clearly has ready to go. "But, we don't get to be yet, so let's get back to work."

Sonny eats his sandwich and the leftover fries, then throws everything away and steps into the bathroom to wash his hands. He texts Rafael before he steps back into the squad room. 

**Sonny:** Am I ever getting that sweatshirt back?

 **Rafael:** Not unless we break up. 

**Sonny:** Oh, well definitely keep it, then because I don't plan for that to happen.

 **Rafael:** Me neither. 

Sonny has to school his beaming smile off his face after Rafael's final response. They've said I love you more than a few times, but Sonny makes a note to take some time to show Rafael just how much he means it. He's not sure he's ever going to be able to express exactly how much Rafael being so comfortable and open with him means to him, but he can at least try to give Rafael a run for his money.

**Author's Note:**

> I find Rafael being secretly a complete, dorkass sap once he's comfortable in a relationship to be 900% valid.


End file.
